A public hearing was held in Esterhazy regarding the Town of Esterhazy restructuring to absorb the Village of Yarbo on July 15th starting at 7:00 P.M.
Esterhazy Mayor Randy Bot introduced the council of Esterhazy and Clayton Kotyk introduced the council of Yarbo to discuss the restructure of Yarbo and Esterhazy.
Megan Istace, Manager, Advisory Services and Municipal Relations Ministry of Government Relations for the Government of Saskatchewan was present to answer questions about restructuring.
She explained the Village of Yarbo’s proposal to restructure with the Town of Esterhazy. “Under the Municipalities Act, it allows for different types of restructuring which joins their governance. There may be different reasons why a municipality would want to restructure.”
A municipality may not have enough members who run for council, a qualified administrator is not available to take over, some see it as an opportunity to merge governance together to have consistency and continuity between municipalities in an area.
Yarbo will be under the umbrella of Esterhazy if this agreement is finalized.
The Village of Yarbo does not have enough often to make quorum at council meetings. In this case, there are not enough people in Yarbo interested to fill their elected positions in council.
A government official mentioned this is the first situation of two urban municipalities restructuring that do not have a common boundary.
The discussion was opened to the floor for questions.
What does this mean to the tax payers of Yarbo and Esterhazy?
Esterhazy’s mill rate is 8.5 with a base tax of $950. Yarbo’s mill rate is 11.5 and a minimum tax of $1000 for residents.
Will both residents of the municipalities be paying more taxes after this?
This is not foreseen. Yarbo residents will take on what Esterhazy uses for taxes and should be roughly about what they are paying now.
How will this benefit both communities?
It will benefit Yarbo as they have had a difficult time finding a new administrator when the current one finishes, and they cannot find enough members for their council.
It will benefit Esterhazy by giving a chance for regional partnership. They see Yarbo is in need and they want to be there for their neighbour.
A question was asked about infrastructure in Yarbo.
The water system in Yarbo receives maintenance and has a 30 year lifespan. The water treatment plant has an anti-scaling system to keep the pH up and keep the water lines in good shape. The sewers are doing well and the lagoon is in great shape.
Does Yarbo have the financial reserves to look after the water system and govern?
Yarbo has been in a positive financial situation and has extra funds put away.
A question was asked about the Landfill in Yarbo.
Yarbo does not have an official landfill. They have a letter from the government saying it has been closed.
Are the union members and office staff ok with the extra work that will be required?
The conversation with the union will come once Esterhazy understands what will be required of them. The town spoke to the office staff and they are confident they can handle the added workload.
The current Yarbo administrator understands the computer system Esterhazy uses which will help the transition.
A question was asked to Yarbo by a resident if he could rezone his property once restructuring happens to commercial as it is currently residential.
When a municipality restructures there are provisions in the legislation that the bylaws enforced in the former municipality remain enforced for up to a year until they are repealed or revised. In the case of a rezoning bylaw, once restructuring happens then the residents follow the Town of Esterhazy bylaws.
With the merger, how does the Village of Yarbo make sure they are properly represented by the Town of Esterhazy? Would there be a councillor from the Village of Yarbo join the council of Esterhazy?
In the next election, residents from Yarbo can run for office in Esterhazy.
There is a possibility of a system where an award system is in place initiated by the municipality to declare an independent seat for Yarbo. Esterhazy could establish a community of Yarbo committee to ensure that voice is still heard.
A question was asked about third-party companies to be hired for street sweeping, snow clearance, mowing and spreading.
Currently the Village of Yarbo does not have employees for these services which is why they will be contracted out. Tax dollars from Yarbo residents will be going to Esterhazy which will help cover these services.
What will the end results be that will benefit the Town of Esterhazy?
Esterhazy can become a regional hub and this helps move forward in that direction. They have a regional water plant being built to provide service. The Government of Saskatchewan can see Esterhazy takes the regional idea seriously and is a team player which can benefit the community. Esterhazy will manage funds from Yarbo who have sufficient reserves to cover expenditures.
Potash Revenue Sharing
It was reported by a different local newspaper that revenue such as the Potash Revenue Sharing Grant would go to the R.M. of Langenburg but this was said to be not true. The revenue would go to the Town of Esterhazy if the merger goes through.
R.M. of Langenburg did not want to take the Village of Yarbo under their belt and therefore the province talked with the Town of Esterhazy in a first of its kind deal to merge with them.
Will a letter be sent out to the public informing them of the facts regarding restructuring?
The public meeting is a requirement when municipalities are considering restructuring. The conversation first begins with resolutions from both councils to enter into a restructuring agreement. After that has been completed, there is a time period for residents to ask questions until August 6th to make submissions to either municipality to declare you are in favour or against the possibility of merging. Then, the councils both have an opportunity to review their decision and this public meeting is just one part of the process so the councils can make an informed decision regarding this merger. The Town of Esterhazy and the Village of Yarbo listened to the concerns of residents and will take the concerns back to the council table. These are interim terms for two years. There is no ability to back out of the agreement once it is finalized. A survey will be sent out to residents to gauge their feedback as well.
A resident asked about the school in Yarbo and who is responsible for its maintenance.
The school building is private property and it is not foreseeable at this time that the Village of Yarbo would have to take over the property. The only way Yarbo would come across this property would be if it came through tax enforcement but this has not been an issue so far.
Is Yarbo’s population declining?
The town looked at this topic but Yarbo has sustained the same population for quite some time. The population of Yarbo is currently 49 and there are a couple of businesses in the village.
How will this merger affect agricultural land owners in Yarbo?
There should not be any sort of change as it is only changing the governance from Yarbo to Esterhazy.
A resident asked why the R.M. of Langenburg did not want to merge with Yarbo and why would the Town of Esterhazy want to merge?
The R.M. of Langenburg did not want to merge. The benefits to the Town of Esterhazy are the regional benefits of being a future regional hub and they can take on the responsibility to benefit the area. The town believes they are in the best position to make this merger happen.
If the Town of Esterhazy does not take over the Village of Yarbo then the R.M. of Langenburg must take over the Village of Yarbo based on provincial governance requirements. When the R.M. of Langenburg declined the restructuring with Yarbo, the Town of Esterhazy said they would take over the responsibility of Yarbo. The administration, staff and council are looking at this as an opportunity and not as added work to their responsibilities. The two communities are already working together in an informal way as Yarbo residents go to school and shop, and the integration seems to be a logical event.
At 7:53 P.M. Esterhazy Mayor Randy Bot thanked the public for coming out and reinforced that there will be a survey coming out to the public and feedback will be received until August 6th.
The Proposed Agreement – Restructuring Agreement between the Village of Yarbo and the Town of Esterhazy
Opening Statements
- This agreement has been entered into by the VILLAGE OF YARBO and the Municipality of the TOWN OF ESTERHAZY for the purpose of inclusion.
Restructuring Principles
- All parties agree to respectfully work together to negotiate sustainable, long-range mutual benefits to their citizens now and in the future.
- Where one municipality has concerns on a matter, the other municipality will negotiate in good faith and work cooperatively toward addressing the concern in this agreement.
Governance
- The Town’s municipal council consisting of a Mayor and six (6) Councillors will govern the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO.
- The FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO will become part of the TOWN.
- Persons within the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO will be subject to voter and candidate eligibility requirements for the Town as set out in The Local Government Elections Act, 2015.
- All bylaws and resolutions in force in the Village continue in force in the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO for one year after the date of inclusion or until they are sooner repealed, or others are made in their place.
Location of Municipal Office
- The office of the TOWN OF ESTERHAZY shall be located at 600 Sumner St, Esterhazy, SK.
Disposition of Assets
- The assets and liabilities of the Village shall become the assets and liabilities of the TOWN upon inclusion of the Village.
- Cash Assets remaining, subsequent to settlement of the Village assets and liabilities, will be set aside for provision for services and/or benefits within the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO.
- All grants received by the Town, in recognition of the former Village, will be set aside for the provision of service and/or benefits within the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO.
Integration Of Administration and Other Staff Service Delivery
- The Village administrator will not be employed by the TOWN.
- The Water treatment plant operator contract with Renata Arnason signed January 2024 for three years being 2024–2027 be honoured.
- The waste disposal contract with Loraas Disposal signed in January 2024 for three years being 2024–2027 be honoured.
- The TOWN will continue the fire protection services for the Village.
- The TOWN will contract a 3rd party to provide street maintenance and snow removal within the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO boundaries, as well as any other duties to ensure the upkeep of the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO.
- The TOWN will contract a 3rd party to provide mowing and spraying services within the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO boundaries.
- The TOWN will ensure building inspections are inclusive and consistent with building inspector agreements currently established by TOWN.
- The TOWN will continue with current tax enforcement in the Village. When the property has been transferred to the TOWN, all costs for demolition will be the cost of the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO.
Amendments
- This agreement may be amended:
- By the agreement of the councils which are signatories to the agreement, prior to the application being forwarded to the Minister for approval; and/or
- By the council of the TOWN after a two-year period from the effective date of the Minister’s Order, when an amendment is in the best interest of the ratepayers of the FORMER VILLAGE OF YARBO and the TOWN.
Effective Date
- This agreement will come into effect on the date of the inclusion as set out in the Minister’s Order.